Within a showcase on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink suit worn by the pop star. The concert in front of a hundred thousand fans was seen as a triumph.
You might not appreciate the performer. You might think he is the ultimate present to music known to man. You might take a middle ground, admitting that some tracks are belting while others are awful.
The point being is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is not a single method to create literature or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on conditions.
The elements, the session, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the wicket.
If the long game is art, the pitch is the foundation on which the players create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the great game taken to pieces and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the pitch which produced a triumph and the second two-day Test of the series.
Allowing a thick layer on the pitch, leading to 36 wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, a long history and ongoing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are particularly captivating due to the investment devoted during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are accepted more easily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the top batters were unable from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the wicket and responding effectively. The two highest individual contributions were made by recognized stars. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the devotees who have experienced years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the MCG, countless fans celebrated and sang their songs, fostering a carnival vibe in a heartland of national pride.
There was optimism as the attack excelled, impetus when batters scored quickly, and unconditional love when the result was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has form with difficult wickets. In the past, a Test there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a non-event.
That match was a marathon, with minimal action and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that previous match are extreme ends of the spectrum – neither perfect, yet value can be found in each.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the demise of the format at all," said a former player. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been treated to some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The team protected him, restoring the joy to his face.
Different players stepped up with key contributions. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to ensure long-term success, but something to develop from.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans slipped away into a beautiful night, the squad congregated on the outfield to start their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
